MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Working toward the vision that began in 2018 at Chattanooga Prep has taken the Sentinels to the biggest and brightest stage for Tennessee prep basketball.
Now that hoop dream is on the brink of coming true.
Led by a dominant defensive performance in Friday’s 62-51 Class 1A semifinal victory over Santa Fe in the BlueCross Basketball State Championships at Middle Tennessee State University, the Sentinels stand just one win away from ending a lengthy title drought for Chattanooga-area boys' basketball programs.
Hailing from the same Highland Park campus that once housed Tennessee Temple, the area’s most recent TSSAA boys' basketball state champion, Chatt Prep (26-6) will try to become the first local program since the Crusaders in 2007 to win a coveted gold ball trophy.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga boys’ basketball scene in midst of title, talent drought)
The Sentinels will take on Frank Hughes at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday at MTSU's Murphy Center. The Lions (25-9) defeated Gordonsville 48-43 in Friday’s second semifinal to set up the title showdown.
“This is what we have been dreaming about ever since Chatt Prep started and we came here as sixth graders,” said junior guard Eli Gaines, who led the Sentinels with 16 points Friday while adding two steals and two blocks. “Basketball has always been my dream. Chattanooga hasn’t won a gold ball in a long time. We bring this gold ball back, and it’s going to show the city and a lot of people that we really have some hoopers down here. We are coming for a lot of people.”
First-year head coach Christian Collins’ intense focus on defense has paid off in a big way this week as Chatt Prep, in just its third season of high school varsity competition, forced Union City into 23 turnovers in Thursday's quarterfinals and caused 24 more Friday to end the season for Santa Fe (26-6).
(READ MORE: Chattanooga Prep wins blowout, advances to Class 1A semifinals)
Joel Bulis, a 6-foot-6 sophomore forward, provided the game’s biggest defensive play in the fourth quarter when he flashed to midcourt to steal a pass intended for Wildcats star Auden Slaughter, then took it the other way for a layup to push Chatt Prep's lead to 49-45 with 3:32 to play.
The big play by Bulis began a 9-0 run that was capped by a steal by freshman Austin Jones, who tossed the ball to the other end for Derrick Roberson to rise high to the rim and build a 56-45 lead with 1:51 remaining.
“These guys work tirelessly on their defense,” Collins said. “The first 30 to 45 minutes of practice is always defense, defense, defense, defense. It doesn’t matter who we are facing. It could be LeBron James or Steph Curry. The way these guys gut it out on defense, they can wear anybody down.”
Chatt Prep totaled 16 steals and nine blocks against Santa Fe. Roberson's five blocks included four in the second half, when the Sentinels outscored the Wildcats 39-25 and overcame a 26-23 deficit at intermission.
Junior Ta’Suade Williams provided a scoring spark to close the first half as he nailed a straight-on midrange shot and a 3-pointer from the right wing in a 40-second stretch. Williams was tenacious on defense, too, tying Bulis and Jones for the team high in steals with three.
Chatt Prep reached the state tournament for the first time last season, winning its opener in Murfreesboro before losing by 10 in the semifinals.
“We are even better now and even more hungry,” said Williams, who scored 11 points along with Jones. “We want to win it all and bring the gold ball back to Chatt.”
Santa Fe’s Auden Slaughter finished with game highs of 14 points and 41 points, scoring big despite being held to 10-of-30 shooting from the field. Slaughter, who had averaged 36 points per game this season, was 21-of-26 on free throws as he played downhill and fast from start to finish against Chatt Prep.
Bulis blocked two shots and pulled down four of the Sentinels’ 14 offensive rebounds. He also combined with Romel Koon Jr. and Jaydan Parker for 12 second-half points off the bench.
Roberson finished just shy of a double-double with nine points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
“We made sure we talked on the court and let each other know we have one another’s back,” Roberson said. “We had to put ourselves in the right spot on defense, especially in the second half to close out that win against a tough opponent.”
Chatt Prep won't have its first senior class until the 2024-25 school year.
It may have a state title before that.
While Collins knows his team must correct its mistakes — such as 19 turnovers in Friday’s semifinal — he believes the Sentinels, poised beyond their years, are set to deliver in the biggest of ways.
“Bringing a gold ball back to Chattanooga, not just the Highland Park area, would be a huge deal,” the coach said. “It has been a long time. For these guys to be one game away from that is special.
"We are definitely going to bring it tomorrow. We not only want to make Chatt Prep proud, but Chattanooga proud as well.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.